About St. Augustine · Halbur, Iowa
St. Augustine Catholic Church is a small rural parish serving the community of Halbur in Carroll County, Iowa, founded in 1901 by German-Catholic farming families and today one of six worship sites in the Good Shepherd Catholic Parish cluster (also called Christ the King Catholic Community) of the Diocese of Sioux City. The parish gathers about 125 households / 350 parishioners and offers Sunday Mass at 8:00 a.m. in the present church building, which was completed in 1974 to replace the original 1904 structure. The current pastor is Rev. Terry A. Roder, who resides at the Breda rectory and is assisted by an administrative team spanning the cluster.
- Established
- 1901
- Patron
- St. Augustine
- Rector
- Rev. Terry A. Roder
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux City
Why belong here
St. Augustine is the Sunday-Mass heart of the small rural community of Halbur, where about 125 households still worship together each week in a quiet country church. Belonging here means joining a tight-knit German-Catholic farming heritage that goes back more than 120 years, sharing faith formation and Catholic school life with neighbors across the Good Shepherd Catholic Parish cluster, and being welcomed at the parish hall and gym for community events. For visitors and newcomers, the cluster's other five churches (Breda, Arcadia, Templeton, Mount Carmel, Roselle) make it easy to find a daily Mass or a weekday devotion close by.
Mass times at St. Augustine
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Augustine Parish, Halbur
St. Augustine Catholic Church is the parish of the small community of Halbur in Carroll County, western Iowa. It belongs to the Diocese of Sioux City and today functions as one of six worship sites within Good Shepherd Catholic Parish (also known as Christ the King Catholic Community). The parish gathers about 125 households — roughly 350 parishioners — for Sunday Mass in a modest country church that is deeply woven into the area's German-Catholic farming heritage.
- Established 1901; current church building completed 1973/1974
- Sunday Mass at 8:00 a.m.
- Approximately 125 households / 350 parishioners
- Diocese of Sioux City, led by Bishop R. Walker Nickless
Parish History
The story of St. Augustine begins with pioneer Catholic families in the Halbur area who, before 1875, traveled nearly 13 miles one way — by foot, horseback, and buggy — to attend Mass at Mt. Carmel, then the only Catholic church in Carroll County. In 1875 a Catholic church was built in Hillsdale (now known as Roselle), about 3.5 miles east, which became the closer parish. By 1901, with the town of Halbur established on the railroad, local families petitioned Archbishop James J. Keane of the Archdiocese of Dubuque for a pastor and asked to have Halbur proclaimed a parish. The archbishop granted both requests and sent Father John Beaumler as their first pastor. The townspeople formed a procession on foot, horseback, and carriages to greet him and escort him to the local school, which had been readied for the celebration of Holy Mass.
- First Catholic Masses in the area reached by 26-mile round trip to Mt. Carmel
- 1875 — Catholic church built in Hillsdale (Roselle), 3.5 miles east of Halbur
- 1901 — Halbur proclaimed a parish; Father John Beaumler arrives as first pastor
- 1904 — First St. Augustine Catholic Church built
- 1973 — Original church demolished; present church completed the same year
- Original 1904–1973 crucifix preserved by a parishioner family and now displayed at Kuemper Catholic High School in Carroll
Mass & Worship Schedule
St. Augustine offers Sunday Mass at 8:00 a.m. as its weekly celebration. Because the parish is part of the six-site Good Shepherd Catholic Parish cluster, parishioners and visitors can easily attend Mass on other days and in other nearby communities — including Saturday Vigil Masses in Templeton (5:00 p.m.) and Glidden (5:30 p.m.), Sunday Masses in Mount Carmel (8:00 a.m.), Arcadia (10:00 a.m.), and Breda (10:00 a.m.).
- Sunday — 8:00 a.m. (St. Augustine, Halbur)
- Saturday Vigil — 5:00 p.m. (Sacred Heart, Templeton)
- Saturday Vigil — 5:30 p.m. (St. John the Baptist, Glidden — historically)
- Sunday — 8:00 a.m. (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)
- Sunday — 10:00 a.m. (St. John the Baptist, Arcadia)
- Sunday — 10:00 a.m. (St. Bernard, Breda)
Clergy & Staff
St. Augustine is shepherded by Rev. Terry A. Roder, who serves as pastor of the Good Shepherd Catholic Parish cluster and resides at the St. Bernard rectory in Breda. The cluster's administrative team supports all six worship sites, with parish secretary Rosie Sporrer staffing the Halbur office phone and Janet Muhlbauer serving as the St. Augustine representative on the Parish Finance Council.
- Rev. Terry A. Roder — Pastor (Breda Rectory Office: 712-673-2351; [email protected])
- Cindy Lawler — Bookkeeper / Administrative Assistant (Good Shepherd, Breda)
- Joni Langel — Administrative Assistant / Bookkeeper (St. Bernard, Breda)
- Julie Eich — Part-Time Administrative Assistant / Bookkeeper (St. John the Baptist, Arcadia)
- Rosie Sporrer — Parish Secretary (Halbur, 712-658-2464, [email protected])
- Joel Dentlinger & Becky Vonnahme — Lay Directors
- Joe Behrens — Finance Council Chair
- Janet Muhlbauer — Finance Council (St. Augustine representative)
- Kassie Wernimont — Finance Council (St. Bernard representative)
Faith Formation & Catholic School
Faith formation for St. Augustine parishioners is offered cluster-wide through Good Shepherd Catholic Parish, covering preparation for the sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, Confirmation, and Baptism. The cluster recommends the Christ Our Life Catholic Conference and the FORMED online Catholic content platform for adult faith enrichment. Children from the parish attend the Kuemper Catholic School System in Carroll for grades PS-12; Kuemper's mission is "to provide excellent Catholic education of mind, body, and soul to empower all students to achieve to the best of their abilities in fulfillment of God's call."
- Adult Faith Formation resources (Christ Our Life, FORMED)
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist preparation letters and dates
- Historical and theological overview of the Eucharist
- Baptism preparation (3rd Thursday of odd-numbered months)
- Kuemper Catholic School System (PS-12) — Carroll, IA
Baptism
Baptism is celebrated as soon as possible after birth and may take place outside of Mass or, preferably, during Mass so the wider community can welcome the new child of God. The Diocese of Sioux City requires sacramental preparation for parents before each baptism. Parents expecting a child attend the cluster Baptism Class on the 3rd Thursday of odd-numbered months, and may be excused if they completed preparation for a sibling within the prior five years. The parish publishes both Word and PDF baptismal registration forms online.
- Baptism Class — 3rd Thursday of odd-numbered months
- Sacramental preparation required by the Diocese of Sioux City
- Code of Canon Law requirements for godparents (confirmed, Eucharist-receiving Catholic, age 16+, not the parent)
- One male or one female sponsor, or one of each (CIC 873)
- Non-Catholic Christian may serve only as a witness alongside a Catholic sponsor (CIC 874 §2)
Sacraments
Through Good Shepherd Catholic Parish, St. Augustine parishioners have access to the full sacramental life of the Church: Baptism, Confirmation, First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick, with Holy Orders and other needs referred to the pastor.
- Baptism (cluster preparation class)
- First Reconciliation
- First Eucharist / First Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick; Holy Orders by referral
Parish Cemetery
The St. Augustine Cemetery sits on parish grounds just north of (behind) the church in Roselle Township. The parish — through the Good Shepherd Catholic Parish office — handles burial arrangements and grave purchases; contact Scott Masching (712-210-1044) or Cindy Masching (712-830-5590) for cemetery business.
- Located behind / just north of St. Augustine Church
- Address: 324 W. 2nd St, PO Box 13, Halbur, IA 51444
- Established 1901 (parish); current church built 1974
- Burial arrangements: Scott & Cindy Masching
Parish Life, Rentals & Events
Beyond Sunday worship, St. Augustine supports community life through the Halbur Gym & Cafeteria, which is available to rent for $75.00 and is a popular venue for parish gatherings, wedding receptions, family celebrations, and other community events. The cluster also runs an annual Street Dance fundraiser (with separate kids' and adults' worklists published online), periodic special collections such as the NW Iowa flood relief drive, and ongoing Faith Formation events. The 'Stewardship Prayer' of the Good Shepherd community is published on the parish website as a reflection on parish belonging.
- Halbur Gym & Cafeteria rental ($75.00)
- Annual Street Dance fundraiser
- Special collections (e.g., NW Iowa flood relief, July 6-7)
- Automatic Withdrawal giving form
- Parish Finance Council meeting minutes published online
- Stewardship Prayer and prayer of parish belonging
Visiting & Contact
Visitors are warmly welcomed at St. Augustine, which is located in the small farming community of Halbur, Iowa. The parish office for the Halbur site is staffed part-time through the Good Shepherd Catholic Parish office in Breda; phone and email contacts are listed below.
- Address: 324 W. 2nd Street, Halbur, IA 51444
- Parish phone: (712) 658-2464
- Cluster email: [email protected]
- Parish secretary email: [email protected]
- Cluster website: http://gscpcarrollco.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John Beaumler1901–
Sent by Archbishop James J. Keane as the first pastor of St. Augustine Parish; welcomed by a procession on foot, horseback, and carriages.